Cheesy Mac and Cheese

 

Ooey-Gooey Macaroni and Cheese

BY  Chris Scott

Published in Epicurious

October 29, 2022

Note from Cook - This Macaroni and cheese won TIME OUT New York magazine's "Best Mac and Cheese" contest back in 2017. It has an awesome, crusty, golden-brown top and the ooey-gooiest center known to humankind. I like using medium pasta shells, which allow the cheese and bechamel to thoroughly coat the outsides as well as really work their way into the nooks and crannies.

Recipe was excerpted from 'Homage' by Chris Scott

Note from Melissa - I thought it might be too cheesy but it was perfect.  I cooked it in a 10x15 because that gives me lots of golden, chewy crust.

 

Ingredients

Serves 8

½ cup (113 g) butter

½ cup (70 g) all-purpose flour

5 cups (1.2 L) milk

3 Tbsp. garlic powder

4 cups (120 g) coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

1 lb (455 g) macaroni shells, cooked according to package directions

3 cups (240 g) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

3 cups (240 g) shredded Cheddar cheese

Step 1  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

 

Step 2  In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, whisking constantly, until thoroughly combined and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and garlic powder, bring to a boil, and lower to a simmer. Cook until a creamy béchamel forms, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn off the heat and whisk in the Parmesan cheese, stirring until thoroughly combined.

 

Step 3 Fold the cooked macaroni shells into the béchamel, then pour into an ungreased baking dish.

 

Step 4 In a bowl, combine the Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the casserole. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the top is golden brown.

 

Cook's note: Pouring oil into pasta cooking water is a pet peeve of mine, because nothing will stick to oily pasta, especially not a gooey, slithery cheese sauce. Don't do it here. (Apply oil to other pastas after cooking only, as in the dressing for a cold pasta salad.)

Patrice's Chicken Enchiladas

 All of Patrice's recipes are wonderful. This is no exception. (Patrice's Notes - I got this from my sister Anne many years ago. It takes some time, so plan ahead, but it's just so creamy and delicious that it is worth it.)

Patrice's Chicken Enchiladas

Filling:

2 Tbsp. butter

2lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into small pieces

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 serrano chili pepper, seeded and minced

1 medium tomato, diced

1 medium yellow onion, chopped, 1 red or green pepper, chopped

1/4 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. sal1/2 tsp. cumin

1/4 tsp. coarse ground pepper

1 bay leaf

Cream Sauce:

1/4 cup melted butter

2 Tbsp. onion, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup flour

2 cups whole milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 cup whipping cream

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

1 cube or 1 tsp. chicken bouillon flavoring

1 cup sour cream

For Assembly:

12-13 corn tortillas- lightly fried in oil

grated cheese, Monterey Jack or Cheddar

Instructions:

1) Preheat oven to 350*

2) Make filling. Heat butter in a large saucepan; add the chicken and sauté until browned on all sides and mostly cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and add chopped vegetables, cook until soft, then add the chicken and the spices and cook for 5-10 minutes (until it is all cooked through and flavors have melded).

3)For the cream sauce: Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan then add the onion and sauté until softened, then add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.  Add the flour and cook for a few minutes to cook the flour flavor out. Stir in the cream, then add remaining ingredients but the sour cream.  Cook, stirring constantly, until cream has thickened, 5-8 minutes or so. Turn off the heat and whisk in the sour cream until smooth.

4) For Assembly: While I'm making the sauce I usually start frying the tortillas. Fry them just until starting to brown; be sure to remove them from the oil before they start to get crispy. I layer them in paper towels as I remove them to let the excess oil soak into the towels. Spoon a few tablespoons of the chicken filling and top with pinch of the grated cheese on each tortilla. Roll the tortilla into a tight wrap and place fold side down in a 9"x13" pan. Once all the tortillas are filled, pour cream sauce over the enchiladas and top with more grated cheese.

5) Place in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned on top.

German Oven Pancakes

This is our traditional breakfast on General Conference Sunday. It is from the Junior League of SLC Heritage Cookbook. 

German Oven Pancakes with Strawberries

1/4 cup butter

1-1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup flour, unsifted

1/3 cup sugar

3 eggs

1/4 tsp salt 

3 cups strawberries, halved

2 Tbsp sugar

1 carton (8 oz.) sour cream

1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed                                                    

Preheat oven to 400*. Put butter in glass 9" pie plate (Pie pan serves 3-4. I use a 9x13 and double recipe or I triple it and use a 10x15). Bake 5 minutes or until butter melts and bubbles. Adjust heat to 450*. Put milk, flour, sugar, eggs and salt into blender. Mix on medium speed until smooth. Remove pie plate from oven. Immediately pour in mixture all at once. Return to oven. Bake for 20 minutes at 450*. Lower heat to 350*. Bake 8-10 minutes more (until edges are puffed and browned). A well will form in the middle. Meanwhile, make filling. Sprinkle strawberries with 2 Tbsp. sugar. Toss lightly. Spoon strawberries into center of hot pancake. Serve with sour cream and brown sugar.  We also just use syrup, powder sugar, jam or whatever is your favorite topping

Variation

Cinnamon Apple Filling

3 apples, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp brown sugar

Toss apple slices in lemon juice. Set aside. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Melt butter. Stir in apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Simmer for 15-20 minutes ( until apples are barely tender). Spoon into pancakes instead of strawberries.

Brown Sugar and Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

From Bon Appetit

Another good, dense cake. 

Ingredients

12 Servings

CAKE

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1

12-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips

3

cups all purpose flour, divided

2

teaspoons baking soda

1

teaspoon baking powder

3

/4 teaspoon salt

1

cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1

1/2 cups (packed) golden brown sugar

2

1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1

teaspoon maple extract

4

large eggs

1

cup buttermilk

GLAZE

1

cup powdered sugar

2

tablespoons pure maple syrup

2

tablespoons (or more) whipping cream

Preparation

CAKE

Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter 12-cup Bundt pan. Spray pan generously with nonstick spray. Dust pan lightly with flour. Mix chocolate chips and 2 tablespoons flour in medium bowl. Sift remaining flour with baking soda, baking powder, and salt into another medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar in large bowl until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract and maple extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in flour mixture in 3 additions alternately with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Fold in chocolate chip mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly.

Bake cake until tester inserted near center comes out clean and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 1 hour. Cool cake in pan on rack 30 minutes. Invert cake onto rack and cool completely.

Hint: Mixing the chocolate chips with a little flour before adding them to the batter helps the chips stay evenly suspended in the batter and evenly distributed throughout the baked cake (otherwise, they may sink to the bottom).

GLAZE

Combine powdered sugar, maple syrup, and 2 tablespoons cream in medium bowl. Whisk until smooth, adding more cream by 1/2 teaspoonfuls if glaze is too thick to drizzle. Spoon glaze decoratively over top of cake; let stand at room temperature until glaze is firm, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.